Today we're looking at the continuing popularity of the Harry Potter books
written by the British author, JK Rowling. The seventh and final book in the
series is due to be published soon and will definitely create as much if not more
interest than all the other 6. The characters of the trainee wizards, Harry
Potter and his two friends Ron and Hermione, have appealed to children and
adults all over the world. We asked Jo Jacobs, a children's librarian near
London just how popular she thinks the books are. Well as you'll hear in a
moment, she tells us that the books have ”captured the imagination“ of their
readers. The phrase ”to capture the imagination“ means to become very
interested and excited by something, in this case children and adults have got
very interested and excited by all of the Harry Potter books:
I think JK Rowling just really captured the imagination – every boy and girl would like to go
to Hogwarts and learn how to do magic – adults too. It's just really fun, well written, and
exciting.
Anna: Jo says JK Rowling has captured the imagination of every boy and girl. They
would all like to go to Hogwarts – the school where Harry and his friends are
learning all about magic and how to become wizards. Jo adds that the books
are also very ”well written and exciting.“ She explains what happens at the
bookshop each time a new book in the Harry Potter series is published. What
time does she say the bookshops open?
Book shops open at midnight especially to launch the look with special events and children
dress up as wizards – there's special story times and magic events going on – and they just
can't wait to get a copy of the book and start reading it at midnight. I'm one of the people
who goes at midnight and buys the book and reads it quickly in a day – because they're real
page turners – very exciting books. I'm a big fan
Anna: Jo says that the bookshops open at midnight – a time of the night that is also
known as ”the witching hour“ the hour or time of night that legend says that
witches are supposed to be around. So the bookshops open at midnight to
”launch“ the new Harry Potter book . The verb ”to launch“ refers to an event to
celebrate or introduce something new – in this case the events at the bookshop
launch the new Harry Potter book. At the launch, children ”dress up“ as
wizards – they put on clothes that wizards wear such as pointed, black hats,
black cloaks and they carry wands. Everyone gets into the theme of wizards
and magic and Jo says that the children ”just can't wait“ to get a copy of the
book. If you ”can't wait“ to do something then you can hardly wait and are
very excited and eager to do or experience something. Jo says that she also
goes to the launches at the bookshops because she loves reading the books.
What is the expression she uses which means the books are so exciting that you
have to read them quickly? Here's Jo again.
I'm one of the people who goes at midnight and buys the book and reads it quickly in a day –
because they're real page turners – very exciting books. I'm a big fan
Anna: The expression that Jo uses which describes books that are so exciting that you
have to read them quickly is ”page turners.“ She says the Harry Potter books
are ”real page turners.“ Jo also describes herself as a ”fan“ of the books – a
fan is someone who admires and supports somebody or something such as a
person, sport or team. Jo is a real fan of the Harry Potter books.
Anna: But what about the size of the books? Most of them have hundreds of pages –
they are very long, they are ”huge“. Jo says that most children who go to her
library look for thinner ones to read – does that mean they don't choose the
longer Harry Potter ones? What does Jo say?
Jo Jacobs
A lot of children when choosing a book do look for the thinner ones but with Harry Potter it's
different and it's great to see them reading huge books and really enjoying it – and I think
Harry Potter has really encouraged children to read generally it's really been a great
phenomenon.
It's great its big and thick – lots in there to get your teeth into.
Anna: Jo says that even though some of the Harry Potter books are very long the
children at her library still read them. She describes them as a great
phenomenon,” a phenomenon is something or someone who is extremely
successful. She says the books are long but there's lots to “get your teeth into”
they're a very interesting and exciting read.
Finally I'll leave you with an adult's view of the books. She, like Jo is a big fan
and describes the books as “exciting, excellent writing, fast moving, very good
and very clever.” She also likes the fact that Harry “matures,” he grows older
in each book.
2011年2月14日星期一
Brick Lane
Today, we find out about a very abrupt ending to the making of a film that's
based on a prize winning book by author Monica Ali. The book is about a
young woman who comes to live in ”Brick Lane“, East London, after her
arranged marriage. The movie version of the book was being filmed in and
around Brick Lane but several people weren't happy. As you listen to this
short but rather fast BBC Radio London news clip, try to catch the expression
that's used to mean that filming has suddenly stopped…
BBC London newsclip
A protest is taking place in East London against the film being made of the prize winning
book ”Brick Lane“. Film Four, who are making the production, have pulled out of filming
in the area because of local feeling. But the protest will still go ahead.
Yvonne: The filmmakers have 'pulled out' of filming in the Brick Lane area – they've
stopped filming there despite their plans. Listen again to find out who is
protesting against the filming of ”Brick Lane“ in that area and what phrase
does the news reader use to tell us that?
BBC London newsclip
Film Four, who are making the production, have pulled out of filming in the area because of
local feeling. But the protest will still go ahead.
Yvonne: People who live and work locally were upset and offended by the movie being
filmed in the Brick Lane area, so, as we heard, the company have stopped
filming there - 'because of local feeling'. So if the filming has stopped,
why haven't the protests stopped? Try to work that out as we hear part of a
telephone call with the organiser of the protest, Abdus Salique…
Abdus Salique, campaign organiser
She said something not true about us in the book and we've got a right to protest these things,
you know, because this is not right. What she said about our history through her characters,
she's imaging the things in the head.
Yvonne: According to Abdus Salique, Monica Ali's characters say things that seem to
be historical facts, but they're not actually true. He says those things have
been imagined by Monica and so the protest continues. In fact, we
understand that this protest is part of a campaign to stop the film from being
made at all.
Of course, many copies of ”Brick Lane“ have been sold and Monica's writing
has received praise as well as complaints. An article in the Guardian
newspaper calls her book 'a disgrace' – disrespectful and embarrassing. Let's
find out why and how Monica reacts to that criticism…
Monica Ali, author ”Brick Lane“
I think the Guardian newspaper said that the book was a disgrace because although it's true
that 50,000 Sylhetis live in Tower Hamlets in overcrowded conditions, I shouldn't have
written about that. I should have written about some other successful Sylhetis, a region of
Bangladesh, who've got big houses and swimming pools and so on. Which is - that's a book
for somebody else to write if they wish to!
Yvonne: Brick Lane is in the East London borough of Tower Hamlets and there are
often too many Bangladeshis having to live in each house or flat. But Monica
Ali's book ”Brick Lane“ is described as a disgrace because she chose to write
about those people in her book rather than about the Bangladeshis who are
much more successful and rich. And did you catch Monica's response to that
suggestion? Here's a little more of it:
Monica Ali, author ”Brick Lane“
That's a book for somebody else to write if they wish to! You have to be free to write the
truth about the world as you see it otherwise there's no point in writing.
Yvonne: Monica Ali, award winning author of ”Brick Lane“, makes it very clear that
someone else can write about the richer Bangladeshis if they want to, but she
chose not to! In Monica's opinion, authors should be allowed to write about
what they want to from their own point of view – or else it's not worth writing!
But what's your view - do authors have a responsibility to make sure that they
only write books which won't offend people?
based on a prize winning book by author Monica Ali. The book is about a
young woman who comes to live in ”Brick Lane“, East London, after her
arranged marriage. The movie version of the book was being filmed in and
around Brick Lane but several people weren't happy. As you listen to this
short but rather fast BBC Radio London news clip, try to catch the expression
that's used to mean that filming has suddenly stopped…
BBC London newsclip
A protest is taking place in East London against the film being made of the prize winning
book ”Brick Lane“. Film Four, who are making the production, have pulled out of filming
in the area because of local feeling. But the protest will still go ahead.
Yvonne: The filmmakers have 'pulled out' of filming in the Brick Lane area – they've
stopped filming there despite their plans. Listen again to find out who is
protesting against the filming of ”Brick Lane“ in that area and what phrase
does the news reader use to tell us that?
BBC London newsclip
Film Four, who are making the production, have pulled out of filming in the area because of
local feeling. But the protest will still go ahead.
Yvonne: People who live and work locally were upset and offended by the movie being
filmed in the Brick Lane area, so, as we heard, the company have stopped
filming there - 'because of local feeling'. So if the filming has stopped,
why haven't the protests stopped? Try to work that out as we hear part of a
telephone call with the organiser of the protest, Abdus Salique…
Abdus Salique, campaign organiser
She said something not true about us in the book and we've got a right to protest these things,
you know, because this is not right. What she said about our history through her characters,
she's imaging the things in the head.
Yvonne: According to Abdus Salique, Monica Ali's characters say things that seem to
be historical facts, but they're not actually true. He says those things have
been imagined by Monica and so the protest continues. In fact, we
understand that this protest is part of a campaign to stop the film from being
made at all.
Of course, many copies of ”Brick Lane“ have been sold and Monica's writing
has received praise as well as complaints. An article in the Guardian
newspaper calls her book 'a disgrace' – disrespectful and embarrassing. Let's
find out why and how Monica reacts to that criticism…
Monica Ali, author ”Brick Lane“
I think the Guardian newspaper said that the book was a disgrace because although it's true
that 50,000 Sylhetis live in Tower Hamlets in overcrowded conditions, I shouldn't have
written about that. I should have written about some other successful Sylhetis, a region of
Bangladesh, who've got big houses and swimming pools and so on. Which is - that's a book
for somebody else to write if they wish to!
Yvonne: Brick Lane is in the East London borough of Tower Hamlets and there are
often too many Bangladeshis having to live in each house or flat. But Monica
Ali's book ”Brick Lane“ is described as a disgrace because she chose to write
about those people in her book rather than about the Bangladeshis who are
much more successful and rich. And did you catch Monica's response to that
suggestion? Here's a little more of it:
Monica Ali, author ”Brick Lane“
That's a book for somebody else to write if they wish to! You have to be free to write the
truth about the world as you see it otherwise there's no point in writing.
Yvonne: Monica Ali, award winning author of ”Brick Lane“, makes it very clear that
someone else can write about the richer Bangladeshis if they want to, but she
chose not to! In Monica's opinion, authors should be allowed to write about
what they want to from their own point of view – or else it's not worth writing!
But what's your view - do authors have a responsibility to make sure that they
only write books which won't offend people?
Filmmaking in the UK
I'm Jo Reffin and on today's entertainment programme on
bbclearningenglish.com, we're talking to someone who works in the film
business.
Samantha Perahia
My name's Samantha Perahia – I work for the UK Film Council, we are a government funded
organisation who are responsible for all aspects of filmmaking in the UK. It is my
responsibility to help anybody who wants to film in the UK – to help with locations, crew,
facilities.
Jo: The UK Film Council is a government funded organisation. So the politicians
running the UK, the government, give money to pay for this organisation to
exist. The Film Council looks after all aspects, all parts of film making in this
country. So Samantha can help with crew – and the film crew are the group of
people who work together on the film – the crew. Then there's the location, the
place where the film is filmed and finally Samantha talks about facilities – so
any equipment or services needed when the films are made like food or parking
for example.
Part of Samantha's job is to get filmmakers to come and make their films in the
UK. So how does she do that?
Samantha Perahia
There are many many countries around the world that have film industries that are important
to their economy and the UK is one of the largest film making industries in the world, second
only to the US so there's lot so of competition for countries that want to draw international
films to their countries, so we have to make it economically attractive first and foremost.
Jo: The film industry is another way of saying the film business. The UK has one
of the biggest filmmaking industries in the world, second only to the US,
America. So second only to the US means the US is the largest and the UK is
the second largest. Samantha says each country is trying to be the most
successful – there's a lot of competition for countries who want to draw or
attract international films to be filmed in their country. To attract people to
make films in the UK, it has to be economically attractive first and foremost.
The most important thing is the UK is a cheaper place to make films.
You're listening to bbclearningenglish.com and we're talking about making
films in the UK. Now how does the UK Film Council help to make the UK
economically attractive to filmmakers?
Samantha Perahia
The way we do that is we have thankfully a film-friendly government who have devised a tax
credit which is to be honest the main reason why people first come to the UK to film second
only to the fact that we have the best facilities, crew and talent around the world.
Jo: Samantha is pleased, thankful, that the UK has a film-friendly government –
the UK government wants films to be made in the UK. They have devised, they
have created a tax credit. Now, Samantha will explain tax credit in a moment.
But this tax credit is the one of the main reasons people come to the UK to
make films and she used that expression 'second only' again. So people come
to make films in the UK because of the tax credit. Samantha says that reason is
second only to the fact that the UK has the best facilities, crew and talent for
making films.
So Samantha, please explain to us what this tax credit actually is? First, here's
some language to help you. Sufficient means enough. A budget is the amount
of money you have to spend on something. A significant amount is an
important, fairly large amount and expenditure means money that you spend.
Samantha Perahia
Films which spend a sufficient amount of their budgets in the UK will be able to get a
significant amount of their expenditure back.
Jo: Everyone has to pay tax to the government - so if you think of money from
your salary or any goods that you buy, some of it will go to the government in
what is called tax. So the tax credit means if filmmakers spend a certain
amount of their budget in the UK, then the UK government will give the
filmmakers some money back.
bbclearningenglish.com, we're talking to someone who works in the film
business.
Samantha Perahia
My name's Samantha Perahia – I work for the UK Film Council, we are a government funded
organisation who are responsible for all aspects of filmmaking in the UK. It is my
responsibility to help anybody who wants to film in the UK – to help with locations, crew,
facilities.
Jo: The UK Film Council is a government funded organisation. So the politicians
running the UK, the government, give money to pay for this organisation to
exist. The Film Council looks after all aspects, all parts of film making in this
country. So Samantha can help with crew – and the film crew are the group of
people who work together on the film – the crew. Then there's the location, the
place where the film is filmed and finally Samantha talks about facilities – so
any equipment or services needed when the films are made like food or parking
for example.
Part of Samantha's job is to get filmmakers to come and make their films in the
UK. So how does she do that?
Samantha Perahia
There are many many countries around the world that have film industries that are important
to their economy and the UK is one of the largest film making industries in the world, second
only to the US so there's lot so of competition for countries that want to draw international
films to their countries, so we have to make it economically attractive first and foremost.
Jo: The film industry is another way of saying the film business. The UK has one
of the biggest filmmaking industries in the world, second only to the US,
America. So second only to the US means the US is the largest and the UK is
the second largest. Samantha says each country is trying to be the most
successful – there's a lot of competition for countries who want to draw or
attract international films to be filmed in their country. To attract people to
make films in the UK, it has to be economically attractive first and foremost.
The most important thing is the UK is a cheaper place to make films.
You're listening to bbclearningenglish.com and we're talking about making
films in the UK. Now how does the UK Film Council help to make the UK
economically attractive to filmmakers?
Samantha Perahia
The way we do that is we have thankfully a film-friendly government who have devised a tax
credit which is to be honest the main reason why people first come to the UK to film second
only to the fact that we have the best facilities, crew and talent around the world.
Jo: Samantha is pleased, thankful, that the UK has a film-friendly government –
the UK government wants films to be made in the UK. They have devised, they
have created a tax credit. Now, Samantha will explain tax credit in a moment.
But this tax credit is the one of the main reasons people come to the UK to
make films and she used that expression 'second only' again. So people come
to make films in the UK because of the tax credit. Samantha says that reason is
second only to the fact that the UK has the best facilities, crew and talent for
making films.
So Samantha, please explain to us what this tax credit actually is? First, here's
some language to help you. Sufficient means enough. A budget is the amount
of money you have to spend on something. A significant amount is an
important, fairly large amount and expenditure means money that you spend.
Samantha Perahia
Films which spend a sufficient amount of their budgets in the UK will be able to get a
significant amount of their expenditure back.
Jo: Everyone has to pay tax to the government - so if you think of money from
your salary or any goods that you buy, some of it will go to the government in
what is called tax. So the tax credit means if filmmakers spend a certain
amount of their budget in the UK, then the UK government will give the
filmmakers some money back.
15 years of the World Wide Web
Today, since we are a website, we join in celebrations for the 15 birthday of
the World Wide Web!
The World Wide Web has changed the lifestyle and working environment of
people all over the world. In this programme, we listen to a short interview
about how the internet has changed our lives.
Ian Pearson is a futurologist - he studies 'futurology'. He's concerned with
trying to say correctly what will happen in the future. In the first part of his
interview, Ian Pearson lists both good things and bad things about the internet.
Can you catch any of these?
And he begins by saying that he does not believe the World Wide Web has
made our lives completely happy, or blissful. And he uses an unusual
expression - using the prefix 'cyber' - to describe the condition of being made
extremely happy by the internet! What is this unusual expression? Cyber –
what?
Ian Pearson
'I don't believe in cyber bliss. I think that the future is very much the same as today, where
you've got good things and bad things, you know, we've got email but we've got junk mail
along side. In the future, we'll have lots of new ways of doing things, but we'll have some
misuse as well. It's never going to be Utopia, but, you know, if we get it right, it won't be hell
either.'
Amber: Did you catch it? Ian Pearson says he doesn't believe in 'cyber bliss' –
'cyber' means 'relating to computers, especially to messages and
information on the internet', and 'bliss' means 'perfect happiness' or
'enjoyment'. Cyber bliss. And he says the positive things about the internet
are 'email' and that in the future 'we'll have lots of new ways of doing
things'. However, the negative things are 'junk mail' and future 'misuse' of
the internet. When you listen again, notice how Ian Pearson balances his
sentences to list 'good things and bad things'.
the World Wide Web!
The World Wide Web has changed the lifestyle and working environment of
people all over the world. In this programme, we listen to a short interview
about how the internet has changed our lives.
Ian Pearson is a futurologist - he studies 'futurology'. He's concerned with
trying to say correctly what will happen in the future. In the first part of his
interview, Ian Pearson lists both good things and bad things about the internet.
Can you catch any of these?
And he begins by saying that he does not believe the World Wide Web has
made our lives completely happy, or blissful. And he uses an unusual
expression - using the prefix 'cyber' - to describe the condition of being made
extremely happy by the internet! What is this unusual expression? Cyber –
what?
Ian Pearson
'I don't believe in cyber bliss. I think that the future is very much the same as today, where
you've got good things and bad things, you know, we've got email but we've got junk mail
along side. In the future, we'll have lots of new ways of doing things, but we'll have some
misuse as well. It's never going to be Utopia, but, you know, if we get it right, it won't be hell
either.'
Amber: Did you catch it? Ian Pearson says he doesn't believe in 'cyber bliss' –
'cyber' means 'relating to computers, especially to messages and
information on the internet', and 'bliss' means 'perfect happiness' or
'enjoyment'. Cyber bliss. And he says the positive things about the internet
are 'email' and that in the future 'we'll have lots of new ways of doing
things'. However, the negative things are 'junk mail' and future 'misuse' of
the internet. When you listen again, notice how Ian Pearson balances his
sentences to list 'good things and bad things'.
Penelope Cruz - Volver
Hello, I'm Amber, and you're listening to bbclearningenglish.com.
Today, we listen to parts of an interview with film star Penelope Cruz! She
talks about her new movie, 'Volver', what she likes about working with
Spanish director Pedro Almodovar, and what kind of film she'd like to make
next.
Now, Penelope Cruz's acting career is certainly on a roll – if you say
something is on a roll, you mean it's very successful. Last year Penelope Cruz
stared in the Hollywood movie 'Sahara', and this year she's just picked up an
award at the Cannes film festival for her role in the Spanish language film
'Volver'.
'Volver' is directed by Pedro Almodovar and Penelope Cruz has worked with
him before on other films. As you'll hear, she thinks he's a remarkably good
director, in fact, she says - 'He's the reason why I decided to become an actress
when I was a little girl.'
Notice too how she stresses Almodovar's courage when it comes to creating
characters and how true to life he wants them to be.
Also, she uses a word to describe Almodovar which she says she doesn't like
to use a lot, but she thinks it's right to describe him. What does she call him?
Now here is Penelope Cruz talking about why she thinks Pedro Almodovar is
such a clever director.
Penelope Cruz
'For me, I would say, truth is the mark. He really sees everything and is not afraid of
exploring it and he never judges his characters. He's completely brave, and for me, he's a
genius and I don't like using that word that a lot but with him, I really think he is. He's the
reason why I decided to become an actress when I was a little girl.'
Amber: So Penelope Cruz describes Pedro Almodovar as a genius – a person with a very
great and rare natural ability. And she says he 'never judges his characters'. If you
don't judge people, you let them be the way they are and don't try to influence
other people's opinion of them.
'Volver' – which means 'Return' in English – is very funny and extremely sad.
The film is the story of a rural Spanish family moving to Madrid, and Penelope
Cruz plays a woman whose husband has been murdered and her dead mother
returns as a ghost. As you listen to the next part of the interview with Penelope
Cruz, try to catch how her character is feeling and why.
Penelope Cruz
'My character has big regrets about not having solved a lot of things with her mother but her
mother comes back to life as a ghost and she's able to solve a few things!'
Amber: So Penelope Cruz's character 'has big regrets' – if you have regrets about
something you feel a sadness about them and wish they could have been
different and better. Her character is struggling with problems she didn't
solve with her mother when she was alive, and the film explores what it's
like to be haunted by family secrets. It's also about the importance of family
love.
Today, we listen to parts of an interview with film star Penelope Cruz! She
talks about her new movie, 'Volver', what she likes about working with
Spanish director Pedro Almodovar, and what kind of film she'd like to make
next.
Now, Penelope Cruz's acting career is certainly on a roll – if you say
something is on a roll, you mean it's very successful. Last year Penelope Cruz
stared in the Hollywood movie 'Sahara', and this year she's just picked up an
award at the Cannes film festival for her role in the Spanish language film
'Volver'.
'Volver' is directed by Pedro Almodovar and Penelope Cruz has worked with
him before on other films. As you'll hear, she thinks he's a remarkably good
director, in fact, she says - 'He's the reason why I decided to become an actress
when I was a little girl.'
Notice too how she stresses Almodovar's courage when it comes to creating
characters and how true to life he wants them to be.
Also, she uses a word to describe Almodovar which she says she doesn't like
to use a lot, but she thinks it's right to describe him. What does she call him?
Now here is Penelope Cruz talking about why she thinks Pedro Almodovar is
such a clever director.
Penelope Cruz
'For me, I would say, truth is the mark. He really sees everything and is not afraid of
exploring it and he never judges his characters. He's completely brave, and for me, he's a
genius and I don't like using that word that a lot but with him, I really think he is. He's the
reason why I decided to become an actress when I was a little girl.'
Amber: So Penelope Cruz describes Pedro Almodovar as a genius – a person with a very
great and rare natural ability. And she says he 'never judges his characters'. If you
don't judge people, you let them be the way they are and don't try to influence
other people's opinion of them.
'Volver' – which means 'Return' in English – is very funny and extremely sad.
The film is the story of a rural Spanish family moving to Madrid, and Penelope
Cruz plays a woman whose husband has been murdered and her dead mother
returns as a ghost. As you listen to the next part of the interview with Penelope
Cruz, try to catch how her character is feeling and why.
Penelope Cruz
'My character has big regrets about not having solved a lot of things with her mother but her
mother comes back to life as a ghost and she's able to solve a few things!'
Amber: So Penelope Cruz's character 'has big regrets' – if you have regrets about
something you feel a sadness about them and wish they could have been
different and better. Her character is struggling with problems she didn't
solve with her mother when she was alive, and the film explores what it's
like to be haunted by family secrets. It's also about the importance of family
love.
Da Vinci Exhibition
Hello, I'm Callum Robertson and this is Entertainment. In this programme
we're going to be taking a look at a new exhibition that has recently opened at
London's Victoria and Albert Museum
The exhibition is entitled Leonardo da Vinci, Experience, Experiment and
Design and to tell us about it I spoke to Thereza Wells who is one of the
curators of the exhibition, which means she is one of the people responsible for
organising it, setting it up and looking after it.
Throughout her career she's worked on a number of projects relating to
Leonardo and I first asked her to tell us a little bit about the man and why we
are still fascinated by him today.
Thereza Wells
Well Leonardo da Vinci was a man who lived during the Renaissance. He was born in 1452
and died in 1519. He's probably most well known as the painter of the Mona Lisa but he was
much more than that. He had a huge interest in the sciences, in maths, he studied anatomy,
human anatomy. He was an engineer, he was interested in making military tools for war and
he was a botanist. So he did all sorts of things and I think that's probably why there's this
enduring interest that every generation finds even today and every generation finds something
new to see, to learn about Leonardo.
Callum: Although Leonardo da Vinci is perhaps best known as the painter of the Mona
Lisa, he was far more than an artist. He was interested in, studied and
experimented in a wide range of sciences. It's this variety of interests that
Thereza believes captures the imagination even today. The exhibition is called
Experience, Experiment and Design and I went on to ask Thereza the
significance of those words as the title.
Thereza Wells
The words are very carefully chosen, the words of the title of the exhibition. What Leonardo
believed was that you couldn't understand the world, you could not gain knowledge of the
world without actually experiencing it and without actually experimenting with it. What I
mean to say is that he believed you could not understand the world just reading books. He did
not have a classical education himself. He obviously read books but I think that without
having a classical education, he was able to think outside the box. He believed very much that
you had to learn from the world by sort of experiencing it and that's what we're tackling in the
exhibition and he experienced that and he wrote about that in his many thousands of sheets of
notebooks and drawings that exist today and this exhibition is tackling how he thought on
paper and how he demonstrated his knowledge of the world on paper.
Callum: The words of the title of the exhibition relate very much to the way that
Leonardo worked, how he developed his understanding of the world. Not just
from reading books but through experiences and experiments. Thereza said he
was able to think out of the box. This is quite a modern expression which
means someone is able to have ideas that are not part of what is already known
– he or she can come up with creative, imaginative and new ideas to solve
problems.
Many of Leonardo's designs based on his ability to 'think out of the box' still
exist today and it is these that form an important part of the exhibition.
I went on to ask Thereza about the exhibition, what can people see there and is
it a practical 'hands-on' exhibition with exhibits people can touch and
experiment with themselves. What tool does she say the exhibition uses to
illustrate to the public the way that Leonardo thought?
Thereza Wells
The main core of the exhibition are 60 sheets, drawings and notebooks. They are definitely
not 'hands-on', it's really 'mind-on'. It's really about what was going on inside Leonardo's mind.
So it's a very, quite an intense exhibition but what we've done to sort of help people to
understand Leonardo's thoughts is to animate those drawings and to animate really the words
that he was writing. And these animations are suspended above the drawings so you will look
down at the drawing, you can read the label, you can examine the drawing and then above you,
you will look up and there will be a computer-generated animation of the drawing and
hopefully you say ”a-ha, that's what he's talking about“ because when you look at these
drawings you really believe that Leonardo must have wished that they could move. Many of
them are really full of motion and we hope that the animations will show that as well.
Callum: Well because the exhibits are Leonardo's original documents they are not really
hands-on! You can't touch them – but Thereza says they are 'mind on'. They
make you think. And to help visitors to the exhibition understand the drawings
there are computer-generated animations above the exhibits.
Leonardo da Vinci Experience, Experiment and Design is at London's Victoria
we're going to be taking a look at a new exhibition that has recently opened at
London's Victoria and Albert Museum
The exhibition is entitled Leonardo da Vinci, Experience, Experiment and
Design and to tell us about it I spoke to Thereza Wells who is one of the
curators of the exhibition, which means she is one of the people responsible for
organising it, setting it up and looking after it.
Throughout her career she's worked on a number of projects relating to
Leonardo and I first asked her to tell us a little bit about the man and why we
are still fascinated by him today.
Thereza Wells
Well Leonardo da Vinci was a man who lived during the Renaissance. He was born in 1452
and died in 1519. He's probably most well known as the painter of the Mona Lisa but he was
much more than that. He had a huge interest in the sciences, in maths, he studied anatomy,
human anatomy. He was an engineer, he was interested in making military tools for war and
he was a botanist. So he did all sorts of things and I think that's probably why there's this
enduring interest that every generation finds even today and every generation finds something
new to see, to learn about Leonardo.
Callum: Although Leonardo da Vinci is perhaps best known as the painter of the Mona
Lisa, he was far more than an artist. He was interested in, studied and
experimented in a wide range of sciences. It's this variety of interests that
Thereza believes captures the imagination even today. The exhibition is called
Experience, Experiment and Design and I went on to ask Thereza the
significance of those words as the title.
Thereza Wells
The words are very carefully chosen, the words of the title of the exhibition. What Leonardo
believed was that you couldn't understand the world, you could not gain knowledge of the
world without actually experiencing it and without actually experimenting with it. What I
mean to say is that he believed you could not understand the world just reading books. He did
not have a classical education himself. He obviously read books but I think that without
having a classical education, he was able to think outside the box. He believed very much that
you had to learn from the world by sort of experiencing it and that's what we're tackling in the
exhibition and he experienced that and he wrote about that in his many thousands of sheets of
notebooks and drawings that exist today and this exhibition is tackling how he thought on
paper and how he demonstrated his knowledge of the world on paper.
Callum: The words of the title of the exhibition relate very much to the way that
Leonardo worked, how he developed his understanding of the world. Not just
from reading books but through experiences and experiments. Thereza said he
was able to think out of the box. This is quite a modern expression which
means someone is able to have ideas that are not part of what is already known
– he or she can come up with creative, imaginative and new ideas to solve
problems.
Many of Leonardo's designs based on his ability to 'think out of the box' still
exist today and it is these that form an important part of the exhibition.
I went on to ask Thereza about the exhibition, what can people see there and is
it a practical 'hands-on' exhibition with exhibits people can touch and
experiment with themselves. What tool does she say the exhibition uses to
illustrate to the public the way that Leonardo thought?
Thereza Wells
The main core of the exhibition are 60 sheets, drawings and notebooks. They are definitely
not 'hands-on', it's really 'mind-on'. It's really about what was going on inside Leonardo's mind.
So it's a very, quite an intense exhibition but what we've done to sort of help people to
understand Leonardo's thoughts is to animate those drawings and to animate really the words
that he was writing. And these animations are suspended above the drawings so you will look
down at the drawing, you can read the label, you can examine the drawing and then above you,
you will look up and there will be a computer-generated animation of the drawing and
hopefully you say ”a-ha, that's what he's talking about“ because when you look at these
drawings you really believe that Leonardo must have wished that they could move. Many of
them are really full of motion and we hope that the animations will show that as well.
Callum: Well because the exhibits are Leonardo's original documents they are not really
hands-on! You can't touch them – but Thereza says they are 'mind on'. They
make you think. And to help visitors to the exhibition understand the drawings
there are computer-generated animations above the exhibits.
Leonardo da Vinci Experience, Experiment and Design is at London's Victoria
Cairo International Stadium
Two days before I was lucky enough to take a guided tour behind the scenes tosome places the public don't normally get to see. This programme is therecording that I made at the stadium. There are comprehension questions on thewebsite and a quiz so you can check your understanding.
The tour started off at the office of one of the stadium chiefs before our guidetook us around the stadium. Here's my report.
Callum: Now to start off we're in the company of a very important man, a VIP. First canyou tell us, what's your name?
Ahmed: My name is Ahmed Adbulkhaliq.
Callum: And what is your position, what's your job?
Ahmed: I'm responsible for following up and planning for the Cairo Stadiuum andgeneral manager of the main office.
Callum: This is a very very nice stadium, when was it built?
Ahmed: It was built in 1960Callum: How many people can attend an event in the football stadium, what's thecapacity of the stadium?
Ahmed: 72,668, exactlyCallum: If I can ask you to predict the future. What teams do you think will be playingin the final. Do you think Egypt will be in the final?
Ahmed: Only God knows, but I hope Egypt.
Callum: And what other teams do you think are favourites for the tournament?
Ahmed: Cote D'Ivoire, big team, Cameroon, Ghana and EgyptCallum: How do you feel because this is your stadium and Africa Cup of Nations is inyour stadium in your city, how does that make you feel? Is it a very responsibleposition for you?
Ahmed: I'm very happy because of improvements we have made here in the stadium.
Callum: You must be very proudAhmed: Sure, very very proud.
Callum: Well we start our tour at a very special place. We are at the Royal Box, or whatwe would call the royal box in England. It's the place where very specialcelebrities and politicians sit when they are watching the game. And justbehind me now you can hear the noise as they are still completing it, is thepresidential box, as the president of Egypt, President Mohamed Hosni Mubarakwill be sitting just behind where I'm standing to watch the opening game onFriday.
Now it's a great position to watch the game from because from this positionyou can see the whole pitch. We're directly in line with the half-way line andstanding across from a replica of the Sphinx, one of the famous monumentswhich is also here in Egypt, though this is just a replica, it's not the real thing.
But this is a great viewpoint. You can see the whole pitch, the whole crowdand it's really going to be a fantastic experience to be here on Friday when thegame kicks off.
Callum: Well our tour has now taken us to the changing rooms and this is where theplayers will be getting ready before the game, before they step out onto thepitch and play for the honour of their country. And this is also where they'llhave their team talk. There's a whiteboard on the wall which has a footballpitch drawn on it and that's where their manger or coach will go over the tacticsof the game. And it's a kind of a room as you might expect, there's a long rowof individual benches where each player can hang their kit when they getchanged and there's a massage table and showers and facilities as you couldexpect but what you probably can't imagine is the tension that will be in thisroom before a game, the nerves that the players will be feeling, before theyopen the door and step out onto the pitch. Come with us now as we take thatstep because here we go, we're going on to the pitch…Callum: So as you walk from the changing rooms, underneath the stands and out, thepitch opens up in front of you and you step out from underneath the stands andthere are maybe 75,000 people cheering and screaming at you. What anexperience it must be for all these players when they step out and I can'timagine what they'll be feeling, their nerves and excitement – and as and westep onto the pitch, as I'm doing now,wow, I'm standing on the pitch wherethey'll be playing the first match and the final of the 2006 Africa Cup ofNations and it looks like quite a small pitch, I have to say but nevertheless I'msure the players who will be playing on it will think it's quite big enough.
Now as we approach, here we are standing at the centre circle where the firstgame and last game will kick off.
The tour started off at the office of one of the stadium chiefs before our guidetook us around the stadium. Here's my report.
Callum: Now to start off we're in the company of a very important man, a VIP. First canyou tell us, what's your name?
Ahmed: My name is Ahmed Adbulkhaliq.
Callum: And what is your position, what's your job?
Ahmed: I'm responsible for following up and planning for the Cairo Stadiuum andgeneral manager of the main office.
Callum: This is a very very nice stadium, when was it built?
Ahmed: It was built in 1960Callum: How many people can attend an event in the football stadium, what's thecapacity of the stadium?
Ahmed: 72,668, exactlyCallum: If I can ask you to predict the future. What teams do you think will be playingin the final. Do you think Egypt will be in the final?
Ahmed: Only God knows, but I hope Egypt.
Callum: And what other teams do you think are favourites for the tournament?
Ahmed: Cote D'Ivoire, big team, Cameroon, Ghana and EgyptCallum: How do you feel because this is your stadium and Africa Cup of Nations is inyour stadium in your city, how does that make you feel? Is it a very responsibleposition for you?
Ahmed: I'm very happy because of improvements we have made here in the stadium.
Callum: You must be very proudAhmed: Sure, very very proud.
Callum: Well we start our tour at a very special place. We are at the Royal Box, or whatwe would call the royal box in England. It's the place where very specialcelebrities and politicians sit when they are watching the game. And justbehind me now you can hear the noise as they are still completing it, is thepresidential box, as the president of Egypt, President Mohamed Hosni Mubarakwill be sitting just behind where I'm standing to watch the opening game onFriday.
Now it's a great position to watch the game from because from this positionyou can see the whole pitch. We're directly in line with the half-way line andstanding across from a replica of the Sphinx, one of the famous monumentswhich is also here in Egypt, though this is just a replica, it's not the real thing.
But this is a great viewpoint. You can see the whole pitch, the whole crowdand it's really going to be a fantastic experience to be here on Friday when thegame kicks off.
Callum: Well our tour has now taken us to the changing rooms and this is where theplayers will be getting ready before the game, before they step out onto thepitch and play for the honour of their country. And this is also where they'llhave their team talk. There's a whiteboard on the wall which has a footballpitch drawn on it and that's where their manger or coach will go over the tacticsof the game. And it's a kind of a room as you might expect, there's a long rowof individual benches where each player can hang their kit when they getchanged and there's a massage table and showers and facilities as you couldexpect but what you probably can't imagine is the tension that will be in thisroom before a game, the nerves that the players will be feeling, before theyopen the door and step out onto the pitch. Come with us now as we take thatstep because here we go, we're going on to the pitch…Callum: So as you walk from the changing rooms, underneath the stands and out, thepitch opens up in front of you and you step out from underneath the stands andthere are maybe 75,000 people cheering and screaming at you. What anexperience it must be for all these players when they step out and I can'timagine what they'll be feeling, their nerves and excitement – and as and westep onto the pitch, as I'm doing now,wow, I'm standing on the pitch wherethey'll be playing the first match and the final of the 2006 Africa Cup ofNations and it looks like quite a small pitch, I have to say but nevertheless I'msure the players who will be playing on it will think it's quite big enough.
Now as we approach, here we are standing at the centre circle where the firstgame and last game will kick off.
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